What happens if I delete WhatsApp chats - briefly?
Deleting WhatsApp chats permanently removes the messages from your device and the chat history. However, this action does not affect the recipient's chat history or any previously sent media files.
What happens if I delete WhatsApp chats - in detail?
When you delete WhatsApp chats, several things happen behind the scenes, affecting both your device and the cloud storage associated with your account.
Firstly, deleting a chat on WhatsApp removes the conversation from your local device's memory. This means that the messages, photos, videos, and other media shared within that chat are no longer accessible through your WhatsApp app. The chat history is permanently deleted from your phone, and there is no way to recover it without third-party software or services, which may not be reliable or secure.
Secondly, deleting a chat also affects the cloud backup associated with your WhatsApp account. If you have enabled Google Drive or iCloud backups for WhatsApp, the deleted chat will no longer be included in future backups. However, it is important to note that existing backups are not immediately affected. The deleted chat will still be present in older backups until they are manually or automatically overwritten by subsequent backups.
Thirdly, deleting a chat does not necessarily delete the media files from your device's storage. WhatsApp saves media files to your phone's gallery by default. When you delete a chat, the media files associated with that chat remain on your device until you manually delete them from your phone's storage or clear the WhatsApp media cache.
Fourthly, deleting a chat does not notify the other participants in the chat. They will still see the conversation and any media shared within it until they also choose to delete their copy of the chat. This means that if you have sent sensitive information or media, it may still be accessible to others unless they take action to delete it from their devices.
Lastly, deleting a chat does not affect your WhatsApp account or other chats on your device. Your account and other conversations remain unaffected by the deletion of a single chat. However, if you choose to delete your entire WhatsApp application, all local data associated with your account will be erased, including any media files saved in your phone's storage.
In summary, when you delete WhatsApp chats, the conversation is removed from your device, no longer included in future cloud backups, and the media files remain on your device until manually deleted. The other participants are not notified of the deletion, and your account and other chats remain unaffected.